Q. I have a potted plant that I think is a strangler fig. How did it get into the pot as it was not planted? Can a potted Norfolk Island Pine be planted in the ground? — Robert Kelsey, Fort Lauderdale
A. I have run across several cases of strangler fig showing up in pots. Birds like the fruit and drop the seed as they fly. The seed germinates and you have a strangler fig before you know it.
The strangler fig will not remain pot-bound for long. It will break the pot and root into another pot or the ground. These figs often start life in gutters, the tops of palms or other trees and send strangling roots down to envelop the host plant and strangle it. These trees can destroy plumbing, paving and even building slabs. Get rid of the ficus before it gets too big to remove.
Norfolk Island pine grows well here but can reach over 100 feet in height and is a natural lightning rod at that height. The trees look silly in our horizontal landscapes. They can be effective used in a large park when planted in groups.
Q. Can you identify the tree in the Whole Foods parking lot in Plantation? I thought it was a flowering cherry, but the leaves don’t match the photos I found on the Internet. It is just magnificent. — Geri Martin, Davie
A. The tree looks like Cassia grandis, the pink shower. These trees are fast growing and somewhat brittle in strong winds. Blooms are the color of apple blossoms and the tree is covered with the flowers. The bloom display is earlier than most of the cassias with abundant flowers in March and April. Most of the cassias bloom in May-June.
The apple blossom cassia has similar flowers, but the tree has a weeping growth habit. Cassia fistula, the golden shower tree, has long flowering cluster of yellow flowers. A hybrid between the golden shower and apple blossom shower is Cassia x Nealii. This hybrid comes in a variety of colors including cream, yellow and red. This hybrid is propagated by air layering and seldom produces pods. It is an upright grower and blooms for a longer time than the regular species.
Q. I have a small palm tree in a large pot in my back yard. Some of the leaves have black dots on them. I am not too sure if I am watering too much or not enough. — Shelley Weinberg, Boca Raton.
A. I do not like plants in pots as they require much more work and fussing than plants in the ground. Potted plants dry out quicker than plants in the ground and must have a drain hole in the bottom of the pot. If the pot does not have a drain hole the roots can rot from standing in water. Saucers used under pots can hold water and also contribute to root rot. Plant the palm in the ground in early June when the regular rains begin. Most palms like sun and good drainage.
The black dots sound like they could be scale which is usually found on the underside of the leaves. Scale can be flicked off the leaf with the fingernail. Scale is usually found on palms under stress from some environmental problem. Fungal leaf spots are caused by evening watering and go through the leaf. The foliage stays wet for more than eight hours and fungal leaf spotting occurs. They cannot be flicked off with the fingernail. Plant the palm in the ground where the weed whacker cannot touch it. Use a ground cover like liriope or New Zealand flax around the base of the palm to protect it from the weed whacker.
Q. My avocados and mangos are falling off now and I do not know why. What should I do about this problem? — Marta Viton, Tamarac
A. The weather has been very dry with little wind or rain. Bees have had good conditions for pollinating the blooms of these fruit trees. The fruit drop is a common situation when the trees to not have enough nutrition to carry the fruit to full ripening. The fruit drop can be quite extensive if the trees have not been fertilized. Lightly fertilize and water the trees now to ensure that more fruit does not fall off.
Q. My floss silk tree is suffering from chewed leaves. I see little whitish bugs on the leaves. They seem to be causing the problem. What can I do to save the foliage on the tree? — Michael Taylor, Tamarac
A. The Sri Lanken weevil is causing the damage to the leaves. I noticed the big Kapok trees in Palm Beach have chewed leaves but the damage only goes up about 15-20 feet above ground level. The weevil damage is not fatal but can slow tree growth on smaller trees. The weevils chew plant roots when they are below ground usually from December to mid-March.
They can be treated with beneficial nematodes during that time period. Beneficial nematodes are useful at any time of year as they give 98 percent control of fleas and attack about 200 different lawn insects. The beauty of the nematodes is that they are organic and do not endanger the environment. The beneficial nematodes are sprayed using a new hose on sprayer that has not been used for pesticides. The nematodes are living beings and must be used very quickly. Follow label directions exactly and you should have great results. They are effective for over two months. They are available through Garden Gate at Sears located at the corner of Federal Highway and Copans Road in Pompano Beach, 954-783-4283.
Write Robert Haehle, Lifestyle, Sun Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL. 33301 or e-mail . Include name, address and phone number. Include jpeg photo for plant identification.
